Posts for: March, 2016

When you turn to your Boca Raton cosmetic dentist Dr. Alfred Huber know that we are just as concerned about the appearance of your smile as you are, and we want to make sure that you achieve your dream smile right here in our office. But there are so many choices when it comes to cosmetic dentistry that it can be daunting. Learn more about the different cosmetic options available to you and which one might fit you needs.

What is cosmetic dentistry?

Cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of a patient’s teeth, gums or bite. By altering the color, shape, size and alignment of your smile we can completely transform the look of your smile to give you the smile you’ve always wanted. Cosmetic dentistry takes a careful, creative and finessing hand like your dentist in Boca Raton has to get each smile just perfect.

What dental treatments are cosmetic?

The purpose of all cosmetic dentistry is to improve your smile’s appearance. Some treatments to consider include,

Teeth whitening: The fast and ultimately the most effective way to get your smile several shades whiter and to remove deep-set surface stains from your teeth.

Dental bonding: A tooth-colored moldable resin is applied over the surface of your teeth to cover very minor flaws like chips, cracks or stains. It can also be used to fill a tooth after a cavity.

Dental veneers: These thin porcelain shells are bonded to the front of your teeth to change the color, shape or size of your teeth. Veneers are only applied to the teeth that are visible when you smile and can mask more dental flaws than bonding can.

Dental crowns: While these tooth-shaped caps are often used to restore a damaged tooth there are also aesthetic instances in which a dental crown is the best way to cover over a misshapen or severely discolored tooth to improve its appearance.

Tooth reshaping and contouring: Dealing with excessively sharp canines that you want to reshape? Tooth reshaping and contouring is a painless and non-invasive way to smooth and reshape teeth.

Dental implants: Need to replace one or more missing teeth? This small titanium post may be the answer you’ve been waiting for. The implant acts as tooth roots and fuses with the jawbone to securely hold a dental crown in place.

Are you interested in one of the cosmetic dental treatments above? Want to find out if you’re an ideal candidate? Then it’s time you turned to your Boca Raton restorative dentist at Reserve Dental Group. Call us to schedule a consultation.

When you’re among the top players in your field, you need every advantage to help you stay competitive: Not just the best equipment, but anything else that relieves pain and stress, and allows you to play better. For top-seeded Canadian tennis player Milos Raonic, that extra help came in a somewhat unexpected form: a custom made mouthguard that he wears on the court and off. “[It helps] to not grind my teeth while I play,” said the 25-year-old up-and-coming ace. “It just causes stress and headaches sometimes.”

Mouthguards are often worn by athletes engaged in sports that carry the risk of dental injury — such as basketball, football, hockey, and some two dozen others; wearing one is a great way to keep your teeth from being seriously injured. But Raonic’s mouthguard isn’t primarily for safety; it’s actually designed to help him solve the problem of teeth grinding, or bruxism. This habitual behavior causes him to unconsciously tense up his jaw, potentially leading to problems with muscles and teeth.

Bruxism is a common issue that’s often caused or aggravated by stress. You don’t have to be a world-class athlete to suffer from this condition: Everyday anxieties can have the same effect. The behavior is often worsened when you consume stimulating substances, such as alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and other drugs.

While bruxism affects thousands of people, some don’t even suspect they have it. That’s because it may occur at any time — even while you’re asleep! The powerful jaw muscles that clench and grind teeth together can wear down tooth enamel, and damage both natural teeth and dental work. They can even cause loose teeth! What’s more, a clenching and grinding habit can result in pain, headaches and muscle soreness… which can really put you off your game.

There are several ways to relieve the problem of bruxism. Stress reduction is one approach that works in some cases. When it’s not enough, a custom made occlusal guard (also called a night guard or mouthguard) provided by our office can make a big difference. “When I don’t sleep with it for a night,” Raonic said “I can feel my jaw muscles just tense up the next day. I don’t sense myself grinding but I can sort of feel that difference the next day.”

Â An occlusal guard is made from an exact model of your own mouth. It helps to keep your teeth in better alignment and prevent them from coming into contact, so they can’t damage each other. It also protects your jaw joints from being stressed by excessive force. Plus, it’s secure and comfortable to wear. “I wear it all the time other than when I’m eating, so I got used to it pretty quickly,” said Raonic.

We often associate orthodontics with moving several teeth on the upper or lower arches (or both) with braces or clear aligners. But not all patients require a major endeavor — sometimes only one or a few teeth need to be moved, and not very far.

A slight gap between the two upper front teeth is one type of situation that only requires minor tooth movement: just a few teeth need to be moved and usually just a millimeter or two. The appliances needed to achieve this are also relatively simple in design: removable retainers or small scale fixed braces with small springs or elastics that place pressure against the teeth. The process may also only take a few months rather than two years as with major tooth movement.

Preparing for the procedure, though, must be undertaken with great care. We need to first determine if moving the teeth even slightly could affect the bite with the opposite teeth. We must also ensure the roots of the teeth intended for movement are in good position for allowing the space to be closed.

We must then consider the other supporting structures for the teeth. It’s important for gums and bone to be healthy — if not, treating any found disease may be necessary first before beginning orthodontics. And, if the gap between the two upper teeth was created by an abnormally large frenum, the small strip of tissue connecting the lip to the upper gum, it may be necessary to remove it before tooth movement can begin to ensure the closed gap stays closed.

Like any other orthodontic treatment, minor tooth movement first requires a thorough examination with x-ray imaging to determine the exact tooth position, bite issues and the surrounding gum and bone health. We can then be reasonably certain if this straightforward procedure is right for you, and could help you obtain a more attractive smile.